Energy distribution utilities (such as electric, gas, or water companies) often have multiple metering devices distributed over a large area. Some sites at which metering devices are located may be difficult to reach by personnel. A technician may need to go examine a metering device in order to repair, verify the operation of, or otherwise service the metering device. However, once at the metering device, a technical assistance team back in an office may be unable to provide guidance to the technician. In some utilities, the average waiting period for a technician to receive guidance from a technical assistance team could be between three and twenty-four hours. By the time a member of the technical assistance team contacts the technician, the technician may have already left a site. This may then require the same technician or another technician to visit the same site again, resulting in wasted effort and associated expenses. Moreover, if a metering device cannot be fixed after the initial visit, this could lead to a loss of data or a billing dispute with a customer.